Hey everyone, Corey Pearson here. Today we're turning a few fat quarters from one pretty set into a sturdy tote bag you'll actually use every single week.
Meet the Fabric
Our star today is the Shimmer Tonals Cotton Fabric - Fat Quarter Set from Connecting Threads. It comes from the Shimmer Tonals collection, part of the Basics & Blenders line.
Every fat quarter carries a subtle texture with tonal pearlescent metallic printing. That gentle shimmer adds a little sparkle without shouting about it. Hold a piece up to the window and you'll see it. Oh my goodness, it's pretty.
The fabric is 100% USA grown quilting cotton. It's a watercolor print with pearlescent accents, printed on long staple Rainbow base cloth. That base cloth is what makes it feel super soft, silky, and smooth in your hands.
It's also Oeko-Tex Certified free of harmful substances. And because this set brings multiple colors together, somebody has already done the matching homework for you. Pick the colors that make you smile. Completely up to you.
The Project: A Fat Quarter Tote Bag
A good tote earns its keep. It hauls library books and carries quilt blocks to class. A finished bag around 14 inches wide, 14 inches tall, and 4 inches deep holds plenty without dragging on the floor.
These fat quarters suit a tote really well. Quilting cotton is light but holds its shape with a little help from interfacing. The tonal prints hide everyday scuffs better than a solid would. And the shimmer makes a plain, useful bag feel just a touch special.
Materials
- 1 Shimmer Tonals Cotton Fabric - Fat Quarter Set (choose 4 fat quarters: 2 for the outside, 1 for the lining, 1 for pockets and handles)
- 1 yard of fusible fleece or medium fusible interfacing
- Thread to match, plus a contrasting thread if you want topstitching
- A size 90/14 needle — you'll be sewing through a few layers
- Your 1/2-inch seam guide, rotary cutter, ruler, and clips or pins
Brief Steps
Step 1: Cut your pieces. From the two outside fat quarters, cut two panels, each 15 by 15 inches. Cut two matching lining panels from the third fat quarter, trimming as needed and piecing if a panel runs short. From the fourth, cut two handle strips, each 4 by 22 inches, and one pocket piece, 7 by 9 inches.
Step 2: Add the body. Fuse fleece or interfacing to the wrong side of both outside panels, following the maker's directions. This is the step that turns floppy into sturdy. Don't skip it.
Step 3: Make the handles. Fold each strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Open it, fold both long edges to the center, fold again, and topstitch both edges at a 3.0 stitch length. Just like that, two handles.
Step 4: Sew the outside and lining. Sew each set of panels right sides together along the sides and bottom with a 1/2-inch seam, leaving the lining's bottom open about 4 inches for turning. Box each bottom corner at 2 inches to make that 4-inch-deep base.
Step 5: Add the pocket and handles. Hem the pocket's top edge, press its sides and bottom under, and stitch it to one lining panel. Pin the handles to the outside top, centered about 4 inches apart, raw edges even.
Step 6: Join and finish. Slip the outside bag inside the lining, right sides together. Sew around the top with a 1/2-inch seam. Turn everything through the lining gap, stitch the gap closed, push the lining down in, and topstitch around the top edge. Done.
Practical Tips
Slow down at the thick spots. Where a handle crosses a side seam, you're sewing a small mountain. Ease off the pedal there. Slow down or the needle snaps — ask me how I know.
Press every step. A tote is just flat pieces pretending to be a box. Good pressing is what convinces them. Lift, press, move on.
Mix your colors on purpose. Try a darker color outside, where bags take the wear, and a lighter one inside, where you need to find your keys. Or reverse it. There's no quilt police for tote bags, folks.
And here's my favorite reminder: it does not have to be perfect. If one handle sits a quarter inch off, nobody at the grocery store will ever know. You're your own worst critic. Take your time, it's not a race, and enjoy the making.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Super duper fun, and you'll reach for this bag constantly.
Thanks for sewing along with me, folks. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Shimmer Tonals Cotton Fabric - Fat Quarter Set at Linda's Electric Quilters.
